The present technique relates generally to welding torches and, more particular, to a welding torch handle.
A common metal welding technique employs the heat generated by electrical arcing to transition a workpiece to a molten state, to facilitate a welding process. One technique that employs this arcing principle is wire-feed welding. At its essence, wire-feed welding involves routing welding current from a power source into an electrode that is brought into close proximity with the workpiece. When close enough, current arcs from the electrode to the workpiece, completing a circuit and generating sufficient heat to weld the workpiece. Often, the electrode is consumed and becomes part of the weld itself.
Furthermore, to prevent the ingress of impurities into the molten weld, a flow a shielding material is typically provided to the weld location. By way of example, inert shielding gas is routed from a gas source, through a welding cable and welding torch, and, at its conclusion, to the weld location. Welding techniques that employ such shielding material are often referred to in the industry as gas metal arc welding (GMAW) or metal-inert gas welding (MIG).
Delivery of welding resources, such as current, shielding gas, and wire electrode, to the weld location is typically controlled by a trigger secured to a welding torch handle and electrically coupled to the welding cable that is located inside the handle. Actuating the trigger transitions a switch to the closed position, completing a circuit and providing a command signal that directs advancement of the desired welding resources into the welding cable and, ultimately, to the weld location. This command signal is transmitted through a pair of insulated conductors that is located amongst the bare welding-current-carrying conductors disposed in the welding cable. Thus, the welding assembly benefits from the electrical isolation of these command-signal-carrying insulated conductors from the remaining bare welding-current-carrying conductors sharing the same space in the welding cable.
With traditional welding torches, the welding cable is inserted into the surrounding handle, and the insulated conductors are threaded or “fished” through a closed slot in the handle, to facilitate connection of the insulated conductors with the trigger that is located outside the handle. Unfortunately, this threading or fishing process can be relatively labor intensive, particularly increasing assembly times when manufacturing large quantities of welding torches. Moreover, drawing the insulated conductors through the enclosed slot in the handle increases the likelihood of stripping of the insulation, which can lead to an electrical short between the command-signal-carrying insulated conductors and the bare welding-current-carrying conductors in the welding cable. Further still, threading the insulated conductors through the enclosed slot in the handle increases the likelihood of damage to the electrical connectors that couple the insulated conductors to the trigger, leading to decreased productivity and increases in production costs, both of which are undesirable.
Therefore, there exists a need for improved welding torch handles.